12,500 flock to our food and drink day

Sep 2 2008 by Jane Hall, The Journal

FOOD fanatics turned out in their droves to support The Journal Taste 2 food and drink festival at the weekend with nearly 12,500 people descending on a picturesque country hotel.

The combined attractions of more than 100 artisan producers, Hairy Bikers Simon King and Dave Myers, former Newcastle United favourite David Ginola who officially launched his Coste Brulade Rosé wine in the UK at Taste 2, and celebrity chef demonstrations, saw a staggering 12,334 people head into the heart of Northumberland for the day-long celebration of the region’s finest foods.

This is just over 2,000 more than attended the first Journal Taste food and drink event held in April this year at the National Trust’s Gibside estate near Rowlands Gill.

Many of the farmers, brewers and bakers who stacked their stalls with their own meat, cakes and beer all but sold out, so successful was the event in association with Tesco at the Macdonald Linden Hall Hotel, Golf and Country Club at Longhorsley, near Morpeth.

Others have signed up new customers as consumers were drawn by the chance to not only buy some of the finest foods available anywhere in Britain but watch cookery demonstrations and have the chance to get up close to TV’s Hairy Bikers turned Bakers, and David Ginola.

Steve Ramshaw of Northumbrian Quality Meats based at West Woodburn, Northumberland, which has just received a highly commended for its beef in the prestigious Organic Food Awards, described Taste 2 as “an excellent event to showcase what the North East is offering”.

He added: “We made lots of good contacts and the Geordie burgers and sandwiches we were offering went down very well. We ran out of them all in the end. The whole event was a great success for us. I loved the day and I loved the craic we had with people.” Mr Ramshaw’s sentiments have been echoed by Lisa Wilson of Border Fields.

The farmers’ co-operative based at Coldstream Mains in Berwickshire on the Scottish Border specialises in cold pressed rapeseed oil. She said: “We were very pleased to be a part of what was a great showcase for the whole region. We enjoy doing events like that as it gives people a chance to meet those behind the products.” After the wettest and dullest August on record, the rain held off as visitors besieged stalls and tapped their feet along to North Tyneside Steel Band.

Those who missed the chance to get to Linden Hall will be able to see many of the producers on September 28 on Newcastle Quayside when The Journal is set to hold a smaller Taste event to celebrate British Food Fortnight.